An author researching a book about a Shropshire miner who became an Aston Villa and Inter Milan footballing legend got more of an insight into the star striker’s life as a footballer than he ever imagined – after discovering a raft of unseen cine camera footage.

Writer Simon Goodyear worked closely with the family of Gerry Hitchens to write the biography, titled The Gerry Hitchens Story: From Mine to Milan.

He also called upon the player’s former team-mates including Jimmy Greaves and Sir Bobby Charlton.

Hitchens was brought up at Highley, near Bridgnorth, and was a miner before launching a footballing career which saw him make his England debut in 1961.

It was only when family members handed Simon a DVD containing film that Hitchens himself had proudly shot on his state-of-the-art cine camera in the early 60s that the player’s most treasured memories really came to life.

The tape contained previously unseen images of Hitchens and his England World Cup team mates during the 1962 World Cup in Chile, including fascinating pictures of the training camp, hotel, matches and travel arrangements.

Hitchens is seen joking and filming with team-mates such as Sir Bobby Robson, Sir Bobby Charlton, Sir Bobby Moore and Jimmy Greaves, as the players try to relax and unwind off the pitch – with trips to the golf course, Chilean walks and time around the pool all documented.

Simon Goodyear says he could not believe his eyes as he reviewed the footage and believes it gives an insight into how much international football has changed over the years.

He said: “People will be gobsmacked by how basic the training camp is and how much the players do for themselves.

“There is film of Sir Bobby Moore carrying huge sacks of footballs off the coach and into the training session and much more.

“It is fantastic quality footage in full colour – Gerry must have been a real show-off with the cine camera at that time.

“There are some wonderful scenes of him having fun with legends of the game and it is fantastic that these great memories have been captured forever for his family.”

Simon’s rags to riches story about Hitchens, who died in 1983, was released in bookshops on September 30.